Want a whisky room of your own? Whether you enlist the help of a professional like Jim Cash of Revel Custom Wine Cellars or go the DIY route, here are some tips for minding the whisky in your room.
Show Your Bottles Off
While wine is typically stored horizontally in a cellar to allow for more space, this room is all about your whisky, so show off those labels by displaying whisky bottles standing up. Plus, if whisky is stored laying down, the cork could alter the flavor over time and you certainly don’t want your spirit to be tainted!
Lock ‘Em Up
A whisky collection is no cheap endeavor, and you’ll want to keep your bottles safe. A vault or locked cabinet can be perfect for a small selection of rarer bottles that you want to protect—just make sure not to lose the key! If you’d rather lock up your entire collection, like Baljit Gill did with his whisky room, you should consider glass-front cabinets that lock, so your whisky is on display and secure.
Watch The Empty Space
Whisky doesn’t age in the bottle—in fact, it oxidizes. Over time, the oxygen in an opened, partially full bottle could alter the whisky’s flavor. While it may be tempting to walk into your roomful of whisky and want to sample from many pieces of your collection, be careful not to have too many bottles open at once.
Build That Collection
If you have a whole room dedicated to whisky, it’s the perfect opportunity to broaden your whisky horizons and accumulate more bottles. The best way to learn which whiskies you like is by trying them at your local bar, a friend’s home, or even a local liquor store that offers samples. Building a relationship with liquor store employees can also help keep you abreast of new releases and promotions. Plus the Whisky Advocate Buying Guide is a great resource to guide your next purchase.
